Dermatological findings of vitamin B12 deficiency and resolving time of these symptoms.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Prospective uncontrolled case series.
PubMed 24303868 · doi:10.3109/15569527.2013.861477
What was done
A prospective single-arm observational study evaluated 57 pediatric outpatients aged 6 to 24 months (mean age 12.75 ± 4.75 months) diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency at two university clinics in Turkey. Patients underwent baseline dermatological and mucosal examinations, received intramuscular cyanocobalamin, and were followed prospectively to record the resolution time of mucocutaneous symptoms.
What was found
At baseline, hyperpigmentation was reported in 85.96% (49/57), atrophic glossitis in 70.17% (40/57), brittle and matt hair in 22.80% (13/57), skin lesions (mainly diaper dermatitis) in 15.78% (8/57), and cheilosis in 7.01% (4/57). Three months after starting treatment, hyperpigmentation improved in 87.75% of affected patients, atrophic glossitis in 97.5%, and brittle/matt hair in 92.3%. Five patients (8.77%) had continuing pigmentation at six months and were considered nonresponsive to treatment.
Why it matters
It characterizes the frequency and resolution timeline of skin and mucosal features associated with infant vitamin B12 deficiency under replacement therapy, aiding pediatric differential diagnosis.
Limits
The study lacked a control group, had a small sample size (n = 57), was restricted to a single geographic region, and the abstract does not report exact cyanocobalamin dosage, objective lesion grading criteria, or baseline biochemical vitamin B12 concentrations.
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